“That Nothing May Be Lost”

Fr. Paul Scalia is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Arlington, VA. He is probably best known as the son of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In fact, Fr. Scalia celebrated the funeral Mass of his father in Washington’s Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Watching the funeral on television gave me my first exposure to him.

At the end of last month, my wife and I attended the “Defending the Faith” Conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH) hosted by Dr. Scott Hahn. Fr. Scalia was one of the speakers, and despite connection problems trying to fly in for the conference, he made it on time and gave a memorable lecture on St. Thomas More and his defense of marriage. I was impressed with Scalia’s deep faith, his discreet holiness, and his devotion to Christ and his Church.

After listening to Fr. Scalia, I determined to buy his book that was on sale in the university bookstore. With the title That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion, it was published in 2017. The synopsis on the Amazon.com page states the following:

Fr. Paul Scalia reveals a scholar’s mind and a pastor’s heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, the beauty and truth of these insights places the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. While keeping the focus on the theology and teachings of the Church, Fr. Scalia also covers these topics:
–shows the unity that comes from the seven sacraments
–provides a roadmap to a life of grace
–encourages a strong devotion to our Blessed Mother
–provides guidance on how to develop a continuous conversation with God

The book is divided into nine sections, and each section contains short devotional readings that can be ingested in less than five minutes. I look forward each morning to spending those few minutes in a deep dive in “developing a continuous conversation with God.”

Fr. Scalia often grabs my attention with a story; this one opened the devotional entitled “Drawn”:

Little Lucette was inexplicably drawn to the man on the cross–inexplicably, because she had no idea who he was or why he was crucified. Her parents had banished from her life any knowledge of or reference to God. But a gift catalog had slipped through their defenses, and Lucette found in those pages a little crucifix. By an interior grace she knew that he had died for others–for her. She secretly tore out the page and would often gaze devoutly–and covertly–at the man on the cross. Over the years her devotion matured into love. She learned Who the Man on the Cross was, and she gave herself to Him in religious life, dying not too long ago as Mother Veronica Namoyo of the Poor Clares.

As I reflected, I thought about the fact that Lucette saw a crucifix in the catalog, not just an empty cross. It was the man on the cross who drew her in. Inexplicably she found Jesus!